Prickle Problems
by Shipperwolf
Summary: It wasn't something he really thought important enough to fret over, to actually DO something about. But that was before Carol started kissing him. A light and fluffy pre-S3 oneshot.


**Hope you guys have the proper emergency medical supplies handy, because this sweet, light-hearted fic might send you all into a sugar-induced coma.**

**As always, I own not the TWD, but kudos for the inspiration for this little random oneshot goes to my fiance's prickly beard. I love it. And I hate it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

There were two razors to the group's name, both dulled and dirty and barely usable. Half a can of shaving cream was tucked away into one of the vehicles, awaiting use.

Several weeks into their little game of 'avoid the giant herd of Walkers', Daryl decided taking the time to sit by a body of water and shave the stubble off his face just wasn't worth doing.

Wasn't like his beard was much of a beard, anyway. It grew slow, and didn't bother him much.

He had more important things to worry over.

But that was before Carol started kissing him.

* * *

The first time it happened three Walkers had followed him back towards the camp during when he returned from a hunt. He had just emerged from the brush and heard the woods suddenly burst behind him when Carol shouted his name from beside her fire, and he'd whipped around to fire a bolt into the nearest walking corpse.

Rick and T were on their feet, bats in hand, and at his side before he could blink.

The Walkers weren't much to dwell over. They'd apparently been hovering around the camp and caught sight of him as he made his way back.

Nothing to stir a panic for.

But that didn't stop Carol from jogging up to him, a relieved smile on her face, and leaning in to press her lips against his cheek before he could even tell her "hi".

He blinked like a man gone stupid and stumbled over his own tongue, "The hell's that for?"

She smiled, giggled at the way he jerked back from her like he'd been burned.

Shrugged and glanced at the dead Walkers around his feet,

"Just a 'welcome back'."

He ignored the smirk Rick shot his way and went about dragging the corpses off to burn.

* * *

The second kiss came weeks later, when the cold had set in hard and they'd all taken to huddling around fires together on nights they failed to find decent shelter. Two small fires had been started, kept burning low as not to attract much attention with the light.

He noticed early on the way she sat back away from them all, allowing everyone else to get as close as they could and keep warm.

She shivered.

And that was enough for him.

A quick rummage in the woods around them found plenty more to burn, and without explanation he began constructing his own little fire a few feet away from the others. Rick shot him a confused glance before Daryl nodded in Carol's direction.

He ignored another amused smirk and got the flames going.

Crouched down beside Carol as she wrapped her thin sweater about her shoulders to fight off the biting breeze,

"Come on."

He jerked his head at his tiny fire and led the way without waiting for a response. He wasn't gonna have the woman freezing herself to death for no damn reason, not when all it took was a third fire to ensure everyone had warmth.

She stayed in place a moment and seemed to crane her head at him as he settled down, before ducking her head and rising to join him. When she plopped down just next to him he could see in the dim light that she was hiding another smile.

He struggled to hold his twitchy hands in place in his lap and focus on the embers that sparked out of the blazing wood.

And then she did it.

Leaned over without warning and planted another quick peck against his cheek.

He shot her a surprised glance and found her leaning forward to place her hands closer to the flames to get them warm, acting as if nothing at all had just happened.

Daryl chose to keep his mouth shut.

But his fingers picked at themselves double-time for the rest of the night.

* * *

It the third time around that did him in.

Lori's belly was bulging and the morning dew freezing solid every morning when Carol next kissed him.

She'd finally perfected her rifle aim, and proved it when they were surprised by a small herd one early evening as they all settled down to eat.

Daryl kept a close watch as he loosed bolt after bolt into Walker skulls.

Carol snatched a rifle offered by Rick and with a determined look on her face jogged to the nearby truck and jumped onto the bed. He watched her use the hood of the truck to steady her aim a moment before letting loose, and damned if she didn't nail all three she shot at dead-center.

It was after the excitement had ended and they were all packing up to move on to another 'safe' place that he caught her by the arm and offered gave her his two cents,

"Damn good shootin'. Ya might give Rick a run for his money."

She laughed him off then, calling out his exaggerated compliment.

"Sure. When hell freezes over."

With a shrug he smirked and glanced around, nodded at the frost already trying to coat the truck's windshield.

"Already there, looks like."

He caught the way her mouth settled down in its wide grin, falling into a gentle smile that she didn't use quite so much anymore. He didn't try to back away when she leaned in, didn't blink at the contact or avoid looking at her.

God knew he wanted to run away like a scared hare, but he imagined the hurt look on her face if he did and couldn't bring himself to budge.

She wanted to kiss him, he'd let her.

Fuck it.

And she did, lips brushing across his cheek again and he forced himself to actually meet her eyes as she pulled away.

And he saw it.

The drop of her smile and a scrunch of her nose, just briefly there before she eased back and grinned at him.

"What?"

Did he stink or somethin'? Was she expecting him to kiss her back this time?

He shifted in place for the second or two it took for Carol to glance about before reaching out to run the backs of her fingers against his jaw.

"Just the prickle. It hurts."

She wandered away from without anything more, and Daryl was left blinking at the bothered feeling settling into his gut.

He pushed it away, stored into the back of his memory.

It would come surging back a week later, anyway.

* * *

They needed to make a run, and bad.

Daryl, Carol, Glenn and Carl were selected to raid the old convenience store while the others took turns scouting the streets outside.

The list was basic enough: Toilet paper, soap, plastic bottles, water, canned or dried food, and anything that could be used as sheets or blankets to keep warm. Daryl honestly doubted they'd find half of what they needed…

And he was right.

Minutes searching the old store found no food, no bottled water, a few bars of soap and only one pack of toilet paper.

What they _did_ have was an old cooler full of unopened sodas, and if nothing else the bottles could be used.

Carol ushered him away to watch the front while she, Carl and Glenn shoved plastic bags full of flat sodas to be emptied later. As he made his way down one of the aisles his eyes flicked over a package and he stopped short.

His gut flipped and he scanned the back of the store to find Carol occupied with the cooler.

Snatching the package and stuffing it into his pocket, he stood at the front of the store and felt his fingers twitch. They absently rubbed against the rough beard on his face as he waited for the others to be done and they could leave.

* * *

He'd given Rick one of the razors and offered one to Hershel as well, but the old man had turned him down. Personally, Daryl thought the man was starting to look like Santa Claus, but whatever made him happy…

He'd snuck away before dinner to a creek they'd camped by outside the old town they raided. It was a quick, rough shave, but much better than nothing.

He was rubbing his face and checking for spots as he made his way back. He spotted her cooking what was left of some canned peas and carrots. She looked up to meet his gaze.

Smiled.

And went right on back to cooking.

Carol didn't say a word to him the entire night and suddenly, the very _idea _of shaving for her seemed about as stupid as letting her kiss him in the first place.

* * *

The temperature dropped to fucking _insanity_ that night, to the point that Rick finally called it and they were packing up their shit in the middle of the night to head back into town.

Aside from a small pack to two of Walkers, the place seemed clear, but it was downright dangerous for them to chance a group move in the deep darkness of midnight.

Daryl kept his eyes sharp as they made their way back to the store, having secured it earlier and needing to get in and get settled as quickly as possible. Lori and Beth were shivering somethin' fierce. Behind him, Carol's teeth chattered.

He swallowed hard and picked up the pace as he and Rick led the group down the main street. The vehicles were left just at the edge of town, about a block away and within sight.

One good sweep of the store found it in the same shape it'd been before, and within minutes the lot of them was crashing wherever a good clear spot could be found.

Daryl himself settled in the back, T taking first watch. Pulling the old southwestern-style poncho he'd gotten a few weeks back over his shoulder he wasted no time in drifting off into a semi-alert doze….

And then he felt it.

Movement just next to him. His back was to one of the coolers, to ensure nothing could sneak up on him. Eyes snapped open just in time to find Carol's face inches from his own, and he had no time in which to react before her lips settled firmly against his jaw.

As she moved back he found her smile in the darkness, and grunted when he could find nothing intelligent to say.

"Much better." She whispered, teeth flashing. He pushed himself up from the floor and huffed.

"Yer _welcome_."

He wasn't sure why he felt the need to sound so…_bothered_ by her comment, as if he'd been fucking _inconvenienced_ when it was his damn decision to shave. But his gut was rolling again, and it was just annoying by this point.

Carol wasn't deterred.

"You didn't have to, you know."

A glance across her face found her smiling that small, knowing smile at him again, and suddenly, his stomach settled and his muscles relaxed.

His mouth lifted and he didn't fight it, just as he knew he wouldn't fight her if and _when_ she decided to lean in for that next kiss.

"Yeah…I know."

_But I wanted to._


End file.
